Museum Education

Curriculum & Philosophy

The foundation of the program has four components: an education core addressing methods of object interpretation and museum teaching; a focus on museum history, current theories and practices; a professional core including two internships; and a master’s thesis or capstone project. Students also benefit from departmental courses many of which involve team projects with other Museum Studies students, as well as the opportunity to take electives in other UArts departments.

Internships, Off-campus Experience and Part-Time Jobs

Collaborations with a diverse range of Philadelphia institutions are integrated both within the semester coursework, as well as the two required internships in the spring and summer. Summer internships can be held anywhere in the world. UArts is also pleased to offer one fully funded summer internship for a Museum Education student at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston.

During all semesters of the program, students complete course projects in many museums such as the Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the African American Museum in Philadelphia, the Penn Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology, the Franklin Institute, and the Philadelphia History Museum. Many students also find part-time jobs in museums and other Philadelphia cultural organizations.

Who Should Apply

Museum Education students include those with a focus on gallery teaching as well as those who anticipate supervisory and management work in their future careers. Our students recognize the need for collaborative, interdisciplinary, and cross-functional skills and approaches in the museum workplace. They hail from a diverse range of undergraduate programs including anthropology, sociology, history, the natural sciences, studio art, art history, and English. We look for team-oriented students with a strong desire to successfully connect museums and similar cultural organizations with diverse audiences, external stakeholders, and partners.

Start your application, view the complete curriculum with course descriptions on the Registrar's Course Catalogue site, or return to Museum Studies home page.